Evaporator



(ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. LQWEST.

EVAPORATOR.

No. 285,713. Pa t ente d Sept. 25,-1883.

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(Modem 2 sheets sheet T. L. WEST.

BVAPORATORS No. 285,713. Patented Sept. 25, 1883.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

% uyw'w/k' V BY M 1 ATTORNEYS.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMASL. WEST, PALATINE, ILLINOIS.

' EVAPORATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 285,713, datedSeptember 25, 1883.

Application filed April 30. 1883. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS L. WEST, of Palatine, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Evaporator, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention consists of improvements in the construction andarrangement'of the evaporating-pan, the means of supplying the sirup tothe pan, the means of regulating and controlling the application of theheat in the pan and for the management and action of the sirup, themeans of separating the sirup from the semi-sirup and discharging itfrom the pan, and the means of effecting the most eco nomical combustionof the fuel and best application of the heat to the pan, all ashereinafter fully described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved evaporating pan andfurnace. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation'through thefurnace, taken on the line 00 w of Fig.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the furnace. Fig. 4. is a detail of one of theends of the pan, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the cover of thepan. 1

I make the pan of copper throughout, except the wooden bands or ribs a,in preference to the common construction of the bottom portion of copperand flanges turned up at the sides to be nailed onto wood sides, whichis a defective arrangement, because the heat of the furnace conducted tothe nails chars the wood and slackens the nails, so that they soonbecome loose, making the pan leaky, and causing delay for repairs. In mypan the copper sides I) and ends are extended to the top, and thus theliability of leakage by the abovementioned cause is wholly avoided. Ialso make the center partition, 0, of copper to the top, andalso make itdouble, with the edge of one part turned over the other to make astiffening rib or band, by which the wood strip commonly employed forthe purpose may be dispensed with.

At the back end of the receiving space or compartment (Z, I arrange aperforated pipe,

6, through which the sap is to enter from the pipe f, which connectswith the sap-tank (not shown) located near the evaporator. The saidperforated pipe is located at the bottom, and extends across thereceiving-compartment, so that the sap entering the compartment throughthe perforations is spread out evenly on the bottom and flows gently tothe front withouta ripple, instead of entering in one rapid stream, asin the common arrangement, which produces a continuous commotion of thesap, interrupting defecation and causing the mixing of the scum that hasrisen with the fresh sap. Scum boiled in or in any other way mixed withfresh sap will never rise again, but remains in the sirup, giving it adark cloudy appearance and a strong biting flavor. My improved method offeeding the evaporator obviates this result, and enables effectual andcomplete defecation to be secured.

At the front end of the pan is an open space between the partition 0 andthe end of the pan,

in which I fit awooden gate, 9, by means of a grooved cleat, 71.,(dotted Fig. 1,) attached to the front end of the pan, and a groove, i,in the edge of the gate fitting the end of the partition. This gate isto be used only when finishing off at night, and when making a divi--sion between different batches of sirup.

In the finishing-compartment d (1 ,1 make a cross-partition, j, at orabout the middle,

with two gates, 70 and Z, in it, the one, k, being at the bottom, and isto be used whena batch of semisirup is to be run into section (1 of .theend for drawing off the sirup, the said tube being supported by a strongbracket, n, attached to the wooden rib a, for protecting the jointagainst damage by any person or thing falling or otherwise pressingagainst the outer end, to which it is liable in consequence ofprojecting beyond the side of the pan.

At the front end of the pan I make a-double wall by applying an exteriorplate, 0, to provide a dead-air space, the object of which is to preventthe chilling effect of cold air blowing against the end, which sometimescauses the boiling sap to drop very perceptably, and thus maintain auniform height of the boiling sap, which is very essential for obtainingthe best results.

For the support of the sloping back end, 1), of the compartment (1, overwhich the scum is pushed, I employ a strong metal plate, q, placing itfiat against the under side of said end and soldering it thereto at thelower edge, and providing it with extensions .9 of the ends of the uppered ge, which I nail to the bevel under edges of the wood cleats or ribsa, making substantial support for the said sloping end p, that will notbe affected by the heat of the furnace below.

At the back end of the finishiugcompartment (P, I make a slopingextension, 2, of the end plate of the pan a suitable distance above thetop of the pan to prevent the sirup and the scum from overflowingthereat, where it would fall upon the base of the smoke-pipe a and itssupporting-plate 12, by which it would burn and make disagreeablestench.

Over the front portion of the pan I arrange covers, (indicated by thedotted lines 00 y and shown in Fig. 5,) said covers being preferablymade in two parts, which meet at x and rest on the partition 0 and onthe top of the sides of the pan at 2, each having a handle, a, by whichto lift them off when required. By

resting on the top' of the pan said covers are clear of the sap, andthere always being a space between the covers and the sap, and

the boiling sap always being higher under the covers than at any otherpoint, an upper current is formed which passes through the open spacebetween the partition and -the front end of the pan, extending backnearly to wherev the sap enters the evaporator, and this current, whichfinds vent at the back end of the right-hand cover, carries the scum asfast as it rises to the extreme back end of the long compartment (1,there packing it in a tough cream-like mass, from where it is pushedwith the scum-pusher over the inclined end p to the scum-tank, thisbeing all the skimming that is required, not more that one hour beingrequired in a whole day to do the skimming, whereas with many otherevaporators from one to three hands must be constantly employed to dothe skimming. The pusher which I use for thus pushing off the scumconsists of a short piece of board about as long as the breadth of thecompartment (Z, and at tached to the end of a straight stick for ahandle.

In the operation of this improved evaporating-pan the sap is tobeletinto the evaporator to the depth of about three inches, the supplybeing then cut off by means of astopcock to be provided in thesupply-pipe. The fire is then started, and when the sap begins to boilthe cock in the supply-pipe is partly opened to turn on a supply equalto the evaporation. Vhen the sirup in the finishingcompartment is readyto be pushed out, I open the sirup-gate at 121, place the pusher closeto the partition j in the finishing-division, raise gate 70, so that thesemi-sirup can flow in, and then move the pusher slowly forward until.the sirup is all out. Then I close gate 1:, and another batch is readyto finish in the section (1 of the finishing-compartment.

XVhen I wish to stop work at night, I shut off the sap, remove the scum,and when the semi-sirup in the long compartment (Z is ready to be pushedaround I place the pusher at the back end, open gate, 9, turn on waterfrom a water-tank to be provided, then push forward to the front part ofthe finishing-compartment, and put in the front gate, 9. Then I finishoff the sirup in the finishing-compartment and discharge it, as abovedescribed, following it up with waterby the use of the partitions andgates, the utility of which will thus be understood. The partitions andgates are also useful in keeping'the propcrseparatiou of differentbatches of sirup, as when making sirup for patrons. I The sirup-pusherabove referred to consists of a wood board or head, bordered on the endsand lower edge with coru-husks, slightly proj ecting lengthwise from theedges of the head, and forming a brush, that closely fits between thesides and bottom of the compartments.

The pan is provided with handles 0, by which to handle it convenientlywhen putting it on and off from the furnace.

In the furnace I propose to have a movable drop-slide, b, to close theash-pit, said slide having apertures 0, providing sufficient draft ofair to consume the coal that drops from the grate for economizin g thefuel. Vith this dropslide I make the door (1 of the arch to allow aspace of about three inches from the bottom, Fig. 2, for draft to thecoal on the grate. The air, passing through this space against thedrop-slide, turns upward and reaches the fire at the top of the grates,thus being quite hot when it reaches the fire, so as not to deaden it,as when the whole space of the ash-pit is left open. The arrangement ofthe door and drop-slide effect great saving of fuel, and ma teriallyincreases the heating capacity of the furnace.

IOC

5 evaporator.

Back of the furnace I arrangea center post, f, firmly supported in thebrick-work for the support of the center of the bottom of the pan, alsofor support of 'the damper g, which is to shut off the heat from underthe back section of the finishing-compartment, and also for the supportof the long damper h, which is to increase or diminish the heat undersaid section when required. When the sirup is 1 liable to brown byhaving boiled too much, I

close dampers g and h, and when it does not boil fast enough in thefinishing-compartment I open them and close the back damper, '0'. Backof the long damper h, for its support,

.20 and also for the support of the pan, Ihave another post, j, which,together with the bearing plate or bar 7c,for the support of thesmokepipe, I propose to make in one piece for simplicity, said post andbearing-plate, and also the post f, being made of cast-iron. These postsand the long damper take the place of the back partition-wall commonlyused in evaporating-furnaces.

At the rear end of the furnace I arrange a 0 pit, Z, for the light ashesto fall into, to be removed through the hand-hole m, the cover of whichmay be removed for a back regulator to the draft, when required, forquickly deadening the fire, which is often necessary. I

5 propose to bush the furnace-walls where the damper-handles extendthrough them with metal bushings p, to protect the walls from wear bythe handles.

I am aware that it is not new to feed the 40 sap into the pan through apipe arrangedalong the bottom of the latter.

Having thus described my invention,'I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The perforated distributing-pipe 6, combined withan evaporating-pan, and arranged for distributing the supply of sapalong the bottom of the receiving-compartment, substantially asdescribed.

2. The gate g, in combination with a grooved cleat, 71, attached to thefront end of the pan, and with the partition 0, said gate having agroove, 1', for said partition, substantially as described.

3. An evaporating pan having a double front with a dead-a1 r space forprotection from the cooling effect of the wind, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination of the drop-slide b,

having apertures c, with the fire-grate and ash-pit, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination of the drop-slide b with the fire-gratc,and thefurnace-door d, arranged for the draft to enter under the door and passup between it and the i'opslide, substantially as described.

6. The center post, f, in combination with the pan and the dampers g andh, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the back post, j, and bearing-plate h with theevaporating-pan and smoke-pipe, also with the dampers h and i, said postand bearing-plate being constructed substantially as described.

8. The combination of the dampers g, h, and z" with the evaporating-pan,having preparing and finishing compartments, substantiallyas described.

THOMAS L. VEST.

lVitnesses:

JOHN. W. SMITH, HENRY BAKER.

